Dashboard gear shift arrangement



Oct. 16, 1934. AUTHI R-g L 1 1,977,510 I msasozmn GEA SHIFT ARRANGEMENT.Fi led Aug. l4, 195s" v W hue ni'ans lizldaerelazmds Patented Oct. 16,193.4

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Ontario, Canada ispuam iw 4, emana es 4 z (serif-14ml This inventionrelates to improvements in a dashboard gear shift arrangement and anobject of theinvention is to provide a simplified form of structure ofthis type which will function smoothly and efllciently from thedashboard of an automobile.

A further object is tov provide a structure of this type whichcan beeasily installed on any make of automobile.

A further object is to provide a structure of this type which can bemanufactured cheaply and which will minimize the obstruction caused bythe usual form of gear shift lever.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of anarrangement of levers connected to a gear shift lever projectingupwardly and forwardly with respect to the front of an automobile, withpart of the assembly of levers fulcrumed slidably on a transverse pinmounted -at the rear of the dashboard and directed through the dashboardwhere an operating handle is free to move upon manual operation throughchannels formed in H-shaped arrangement upon a. plate mounted on thefront of the dashboard, as more fully described in the followingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing which formspart of the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows the gear shaft arrangement in elevation with thedashboard panel and part of the operating handle shown in section.

Figure 2 is a plan of the rear of the dashboard taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1, showing the transverse spindle and securing bracket and afragmentarysection of one of the operating levers pivotally mounted onthe spindle.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the plate which is mounted on the front ofthe dashboard and provided with an H-shaped guideway through which theoperating handle will pass.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a swivelling knuckle joint connected to thegear lever. I

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding partsof different views. A indicates the instrument board of an automobileand B indicates the usual universal joint to which a gear shift lever 10is attached. is a casing which encloses the lower part of the lever andis connected to the dashboard by suitable brackets. This gear shiftlever projects upwardly and forwardly with respect to the front of anautomobile and is connected at its upper end to a knuckle joint 11, morefully illustrated in Figure 4. This knuckle joint is bifurcated at 12and socketed at 13 and is provided with a key 14 fitted into an orifice115. This keyw'ay orifice is drilled P0113811? dicularly to the socket'13; and is slightly ofi'set with respect to the longitudinal axis ofthe knuckle joint 11. A member 16 is machined at one end 17 to make asliding fit into the socket 0 l3 and this machined end is provided witha semi-circular groove 18 near its end. The keyway orifice is offset toan extent that will permit a key to be drifted into said orifice to restagainst the shoulders of the groove 18, thus preventing the machinedportion 17 of the member 16 from pulling out of the socket 13 whilepermitting 17 to turn in said socket. The opposite end of the member 16is bifurcated at 19 and is attached by 4 means of a rivet to a lever 20.The opposite end of the lever 20 to that which is attached to thebifurcated end 19 of the lever 16 is shaped to form a bushing 21 whichis provided with an orifice 22 and for the reception of a spindle23-which is mounted on brackets 24 and 25 mounted upon the rear of thedashboard A. A lever 26 forming the core of an operating handle 2"!passes through the dashboard A and is connected at one end-to thebushing 21.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the transverse spindle 23 formsthe fulcrum of the lever assembly 20 and 26 which assembly is free toslide on the spindle 23 as far as will be permitted by the brackets 24and 25 and is also swingable upon the spindle 23.

A plate 28 is mounted on the front of the dashboard and is provided withan H-shaped channel 29 through which the lever 26 also passes. Theextremities of the H-shaped channel form the low, reverse, second andhigh positions for the gear mechanism, and the cross bar of the H formsthe neutral position;

Assuming the lever assembly 20 and 26 to be moved into the low positionof the H-shaped channel, it will be clearly seen that the gear lever 10will be pulled towards the rear of the automobile and thus occupy thenormal position in a standard gear shift. Upon moving the'operatinghandle 27 to the neutral position and sliding it across to the positionoccupied by the second speed, it will be seen that the gear lever 10follows the same path as though the gear lever itself were manuallyoperated. In operating the handle 27 along the spindle while in theneutral position, the advantage of the swivelling feature of the knucklejoint will be observed since there is a slight turning motion of themachined portion 17 in the socket 13 while this sliding motion is inprogress. If it were not for this swivelling feature there would be anundesirable degree of which is easily operated and will materially in--crease the amount of leg room in the front seats of an automobile andone whichican be easily and economically installed upon any kautomobile. M

exact forms shown are to be taken as illustrative only and not in alimiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall beplaced thereon'as are disclosed in the prior art or are set forth in theaccompanying claims.

What we claim is:--

1. In a dashboard gear shift arrangement, the combination with a gearshift lever, of a dashboard carried pintle, a bell crank lever fulcrumedon said pintle and movable axially thereon, an

operating handle on one armof the bell crank lever, andralinkoperatively connecting the other arm of the bell crank lever and thegear shift lever; e .2. In a dashboard gear shift arrangement, the

combination with a gear shift lever, of an operating handlemounted onthe dashboard for shifting thereon in the prescribed manner of gear v rshift'manipulation, and a link operatively con- Various modificationsmay bemade in this in vention without departing fromthers'pirit theraofor the scope of the claims, and therefore the,

necting said gear shift lever and the operating handle; said-linkcomprising sections connected in swivelled relation.

" ALBERT GAUTHER.

EUDGERE LALONDE.

